How Long Does Love Last? NarutoxBleach
by amysjcs
Summary: Eight years ago, Itachi Uchiha murdered his family and betrayed his village. Now, he's the Fire Country's most wanted criminal, missing ninja. After joining a group of ninja criminals called the Akatsuki, their mission is to find the shinigami that comes once every thousand years. But when things go wrong and Itachi fails to capture the shinigami, he instead finds his former love.
1. Prologue

Eight years ago I killed them all. I massacred my whole clan in order to finally prove myself and gain power. Now, I have joined a group of the greatest rogue ninja assassins in the land called the Akatsuki. Each of us was labeled a traitor by our village, and we are being hunted. Our mission is to find the legendary shinigami that appears in this world once a thousand years. Once we find it we will use his powers to destroy the boundary separating our world with the spiritual world. Our powers will then drastically increase to the point where no one can stand in our way.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Itachi

"Itachi let's go. I can sense a huge amount of chakra from the east of the forest." said a blue man that resembled a fish with a large sword on his back. The two rogue shinobi quickly jumped from tree branch to tree branch being sure to dodge any low branches. "We are so close I can feel it! Finally if we can just get our hands on that shinigami, all of our power will increase ten-fold. Just imagine that will do for your mangekyo sharingan." The wind blew, rustling the strips of fabric attached to our bamboo hats used to hide our identity.

"Be patient Kisame. We need to report to Pein the location, and it's not suppose to come until the winter solstice in three days." Stopping, I lifted off my bamboo hat to reveal my raven, black hair and crimson red eyes with a black intricate pattern inside the pupils. After I performed a few quick hand signs, a blurry figure with red hair and several face piercings appeared. "Pein, we have located the grounds where the shinigami will appear. Shall we remain here or shall we return to the hideout?"

"No, you and Kisame will return and wait for the return of Deidara and Sasori from the assignment. You will then go and await the arrival of the shinigami. I expect you to be back at the hideout by tomorrow night. Do I make myself clear?" said the blurry figure.

"Yes." Suddenly the figure vanished and I slowly put back on my hat."Let's go we have to get back by tomorrow night." Once again we took off through the trees just as the sky darkened to get ready to rain.

When the sky finally began to rain, we decided to find a place to wait it out. We found a dry place under several massive trees and built a fire there. Hours and hours crawled by, and there was no sign of the rain stopping soon. We were going to have to spend the night there. I sat under one of the trees and leaned against its thick trunk. Kisame had already gone to scout the area. I looked up at the raining sky. Three more days. Just three more days until I can finally find the eternal mangekyo sharingan. My eyes, the sharingans were a trademark of Uchiha clan. The mangekyo sharingans are several times more powerful than the regular sharingan, but the only consequence is that once the user overuses them, they go blind. My only hope of retaining my sight and increasing my power is to find the eternal mangekyo sharingan. With it, I can finish some unfinished matters.

Hours later Kisame returned just as night began to fall. "I'll keep watch tonight." I said. He simply nodded and retreated under a tree across the campfire and soon fell asleep. The wind blew through the forest, rustling the many leaves. The sky was starless. It was on a night like this that I had killed my family. My whole clan perished by my hand. It was that night the I gained something powerful while at the same I lost something dear. Do I regret proving my mangekyo's capabilities at the price of killing and family and leaving her behind? The answer is no, but there are times, nights, like this that I do wonder where her life had taken her. Was she accepted into the Anbu like she always wanted? Was she a wife and a mother now?What if I didn't leave, would I have been able to give her the life I promised her when we were younger? No, that would be impossible. What was done is done. The only girl that truely made an impact on my life is now only a distant memory.

Early the next morning, we started off again. We were heading north, where one of the Akatsuki hideouts was located. We were almost there. Only a few more miles to go and not even half the day has gone by. Kisame decided with the all the time we have, we could just walk back. So we found a road outside the forest and began walking. Later that afternoon we arrived back to the hideout. Once we entered, I immediately headed off to my room. The past few days I hardly got any sleep and I was sure the next few days were going to be the same. I wouldn't want the lack of sleep to take its toll on me during a mission this crucial.

The next morning as the sun slowly crept up and rays of light poured through the curtains of my room, I woke up to the sound of someone knocking on my door. "Itachi the leader wants to see all of you now." It was Hidan. "Deidara and Sasori are back. It's time for you to go." I grunted. It was still only five in the morning. Kicking the sheet of myself, I got out of bed and pulled on my shirt. I walked to my closet and grabbed my cloak. Walking to the door, I neatly pulled my long black hair back and tied it in a low ponytail with a red ribbon. I walked down the dark corridor of the hideout. The hideout was built underground and surrounded by strong chakra barriers two hundred acres around. It was impossible to find even with the best tracker ninjas. I finally reached the main chamber where we were suppose to meet, to find my partner, Kisame, standing next to two more members of the Akatsuki. The first one had long blonde hair tied up in a ponytail. His name was Deidara. Once he saw me enter, he raised his hand and waved to show a mouth on his palm. Next to him was his partner,the puppet master, Sasori. Sasori looked as if he was a hunchback with a black handkerchief over his face, but he had bight red hair under the disguise. Once I joined them in the center of the room, the same blurry image appeared with red hair and piercings. "Itachi, Kisame, Deidara, Sasori, you know what you must do and how crucial this assignment is. Remember to not harm the shinigami but to simply incapacitate it to bring it back. It will be of no use to us dead. If it gets away, follow it. Do not return until you have captured him. I am understood?"In unison, all four shinobis bowed. "Yes." With that, the figure disappeared. I turned around and put on my hat.

"Let's go." said Kisame and the four of us headed to the dark tunnel that would lead to the surface. Soon we reached the surface and started east for the forest. It would take about seven hours to reach the location by foot. The shinigami would be arriving soon. We wouldn't make it in time. I gave Deidara a glance from under my hat and he nodded understanding my request. He reached into his weapon pouch and pulled out a chunk of clay. After a few hand signs the wad of clay exploded into a cloud of smoke but then we felt gusts of air being fanned around us. Turning around, we saw Deidara on top of a massive clay bird hovering a few feet up in the air. "I refuse to fly on that creature!" exclaimed Kisame, but with one look from me, he was silent. We all got on and soon we were flying through the sky. Good, now our travel time will just be three and a half hours.

Two hours flew by and we were more than halfway there. Sasori and Deidara were taking turns flying the clay beast. While I decided to just lean on its tail and look up at the sky. Surprisingly, it was quite noisy with birds flying around and the sound of the wind blowing by. Closing my eyes, I wondered about my younger brother,Sasuke. Last thing I heard was that he left Konoha to join Orochimaru, looking for power to kill me. Pathetic, didn't I teach him better? I sighed, it was too hot here so I unbutton my red, cloud print cloak to mid-chest. Resting my left arm there instead of in the sleeve, I laid my head back to listen to the birds. It was now quiet. It was too quiet. Jolting up, I climbed to the head of the bird."Deidara hurry go now! It's here!" Deidara immediately sped the bird up, but there was no way to make in it time. Suddenly the sky darkened and a large beam of light shot out of the sky at the exact place where the shinigami would appear, a small clearing in the forest. We are too late, but luckily we aren't that far from the site. I looked back to see Kisame, Tobi, Deidara staring in awe of the light. The beam of light hung in the air for a while before slowly dwindling and disappearing back into the sky.

"Hurry! The shinigami is already here!" I shouted. Without my lead on this mission, there would be no way of successfully completing it. A few minutes later, the large bird circled around the area before landing a few hundred feet from the site. This would be a perfect distance for us to approach and watch from the trees. Once we all got off the bird, it vanished in a puff of smoke, returning to a lump of clay that Deidara then put back in his weapon pouch. "Surround the clearing and place a chakra barrier with an eight kilometer radius all around. Wait up in the trees and watch. When I decide to move, you follow my lead. Remember keep your hats on and don't remove them until I say you can. The last thing we need is someone recognizing us and going after us." I said as the others nodded and we each took off in our own direction. I ran about several feet north and jumped up into a nearby tree overlooking the clearing. The clearing was just about fifty feet in diameter. Across the clearing, in front of me, I spotted Sasori's hunched over figure and saw him positioned on a large branch. To the east and west of the clearing, were Kisame and Deidara. Good, they were in positions. Now looking down into the clearing, there was still a cloud of smoke that was beginning to clear.

Finally the smoke cleared. The adrenaline was pumping through my veins and my excitement was uncontainable. Hearing a whistle, I looked up to see it was Kisame. What could he be possibly want now? I looked over to him to see him point to the center of the clearing smoke. Looking down, I looked into the center of the smoke. My heart stopped. It was empty, no one was in the clearing. Looking up to check the sky to see if anyone was there, I met Deidara, Kisame, and Sasori's worried glances. Nodding my head, I signaled them to stay put and watch for a little longer. My eyes immediately looked back down and scanned the surrounding trees and brush, looking for a sign. We still had the chakra barrier up. The shinigami couldn't have gone that far in a mere three minutes. And so we waited for a few minutes. Then suddenly I a rustle and then the sound of all the birds being disturbed. It wasn't far so the shinigami was still very near. The rustling now was coming from the tall bushes on the edge of the clearing near Kisame. He was eyeing the bush with such anticipation. Then suddenly there was a silver flash and a figure with a mask darted across the clearing. Instinctively, we all jumped out from the trees and sprinted after it, but Kisame was already on its heels. After seeing this, I stopped and told the others to stay put, Kisame would catch it. A few minutes later there was the sound of feet trampling branches and someone struggling. "Let me go!" It was a girl's voice. The shinigami is a girl? Kisame's voice was very distinct and loud.

"Be quiet, brat! You're coming with us!" Kisame stepped out of the brush first and then with a yank of a chakra rope a girl stumbled out. The girl was dressed in Anbu uniform with the traditional porcelain mask. Her long black hair was tied back in a loose ponytail that hung down a little bit above her mid back. On her left arm was a tattoo of a flame. The flame of Konoha. My hand instinctively rose up and touched my left arm where my tattoo was. She's not the shinigami.

"Let me go! You have no right to hold me captive. Who are you?" She exclaimed pulling at the chakra ropes that bound her wrist. The more she struggled, the tighter the ropes got. Kisame pushed her to her knees as I approached. I observed her. She seemed brave, maybe too brave. Did she not know who we were? The whole fire country knew who we are. If she did, she must be very brave to act like this. Usually, captives tremble with fear at the sight of Akatsuki.

"Who are you? Are you the shinigami?" I asked lifting her chin to get a clearer look at her mask. Her mask was a fox, a high ranking position held in the Anbu, maybe a squad leader. A kunoichi this high in rank, not knowing who the Akatsuki were, it's unheard of. Anbu stood for Ansatsu Senjutsu Tokushu Butai, meaning special assassination and tactical squad.

"Who I am is none of your business." she spat and Kisame yanked the rope pulling her to the ground. She grunted as she slowly sat up. " I am Takara Nakamura, a leaf shinobi from Konoha. I was scouting the area when I saw the light and I came to investigate." She looked up at me through the porcelain mask and I saw the fear beginning to grow in her eyes. Maybe she isn't as brave as I thought.

"Very well, we are Akatsuki. For now you will remain our captive until we figure out what to do with you. Now, did you see anything here after the light beam?" I asked turning around and signaling Deidara to summon Pein. Turning back around to look at the captive, I noticed she was still wearing her mask. The identity of an Anbu is of utmost important. For the time being, I'll let her still wear it for the sake of my past as an Anbu.

"No, I followed the light here, but it was too bright at that point. When I got here the light suddenly burst and I was knocked out. When I awoke, the light was gone, and when I tried to leave, I was immediately chased by this one." replied the girl giving a yank on her rope. I looked back at Deidara and saw him perform several hand signs. Immediately the red headed shinobi appeared. When he finished the hand signs and image fully appeared, I walked over, ready to explain the situation. He was going to be very upset, but Pein rarely lost his temper with me. He was made leader of the Akatsuki simply because he created the organization and because his eyes have the rinnegan. The rinnegan is legendary because it was said to have belong to the great Sage of the Six Paths. The Rinnegan is characterised by a ripple-like pattern over the eyeballs, with a light purple iris and sclera. With it, you could control six bodies, each representing one of the six paths of reincarnation. It is the most powerful of all the eye techniques. Pein never stays at the hideouts, instead he and his partner Konan remain in their country, the Land Hidden in the Rain.

"Itachi report. Where is the shinigami?" asked Pein. Suddenly three more images appeared beside Pein. There was a man with white hair and a large three bladed scythe. This was Hidan. Next to him was his partner Kakuzu. He wore a mask the covers his mouth and had stitches all over his body. Then there was Zetsu. He is a cannibalistic Venus flytrap with two personalities. They all looked at me, waiting for me to answer the question about the key to their powers.

"The shinigami got away for now, but we have set up a barrier around the area. It would be impossible for the shinigami to have escaped very far. I suspect it is still within the barrier somewhere. We will remain here for as long as it takes to find it." I explained looking each of them in the eyes. "I was put in charge of this mission, and I intend to complete it." They all nodded and looked at Pein. I waited for the others images to disappear before addressing Pein. "Pein there's one more thing I need to discuss." Pein nodded and I motioned the others to bring forth the young shinobi. Kisame once again yanked the rope and the girl fell forward. "This is a leaf shinobi that we found near the clearing of where the shinigami arrived. She is from Anbu. What should we do with her?"

Pein looked at her with his rinnegans. After a few moments he nodded his head. "Keep her, maybe she knows more than she's letting on. As for the shinigami stay in the area for one week if you still can't find it, return." he said. "One more thing, if the girl proves to be of no use kill her." With that, Pein disappeared, leaving the four Akatsuki and the leaf shinobi.

I turned around and told Kisame that I would deal with the girl. After performing the hand signs for a binding jutsu, a thin gold band with a seal engraved on it appeared on her neck. "Kisame, you can release the chakra ropes." Once the ropes were unbound from her wrists, she immediately started running towards the forest, but she couldn't get more than a few meters away before she froze, turned around and walked back towards me and knelt down in front of me. That was the effect of the new binding jutsu I created. It does not merely ties you up, but it binds you to the person who placed the seal on you. The wearer of the band can't go more than a few meters before having to return. The kunoichi stared up at through her mask. In her eyes I saw shock and amazement. She once more stood up but this time tried walking a few feet, but after seeing that nothing happened, she took off only to be once again returned. I smiled, who foolish can this girl be? This time she got off the ground and before I knew it through a punch at me, but I smoothly dodged it and grabbed her wrist as it flew past me and twisted it behind her, pushing her to her knees. Grabbing her hair, I pulled her hair back and put a kunai knife under her chin. "Watch yourself. If you don't, you'll be dead in a matter of hours. Now, Takara, judging by the pattern on your mask, you must be a squad leader which means you do know how to track pretty well. Now prove to us that your worth keeping alive. Find the shinigami." I let her go and she fell.

"How did you know about my mask? Only members of Konoha's Anbu know the markings? Were you of Anbu?" I turned and motioned her to stand up. After she stood up, I walked over and lifted her chin up.

"That is something for me to know and you to never find out. Maybe if you start looking for the shinigami, I'll answer your questions."

The girl nodded and squatted down to the dirt and took out a scroll. She bit her thumb causing it to bleed and drew a circle on the scroll. A series of lines stretched from the circle, off the scroll and onto the dirt. Performing a few hand signs and placing her hand on the ground, the girl closed her eyes. "I can sense a strong source of chakra coming from the west. Let's go." She stood up, collected the scroll and place it in her weapons pouch. She turned around and looked at me and after I nodded, the five of us jumped into the trees and started off west. The whole time, the girl remained only a few feet in front of me. Kisame was behind me while Deidara and Sasori stayed on the right of the girl. The sky was darkening once more. This place is too rainy. We may have to stop for the night which will delay us even more. After a few miles, she stopped. She jumped down from the trees, looked up at the sky, and then looked at me. "It's going to rain. What do you intend to do? The rain disrupts the trail of chakra so I won't be able to sense it anyways." As if on cue, it began to drizzle lightly. I sighed, there's no other option. We will just have to pick up the trail early the next morning. We have been searching for the whole day, following a trail without any success in finding the shinigami.

I nodded. "We will spend the night here and begin 's no point in traveling aimlessly without a trail. Sasori how long do you think we have before it starts to rain hard?" After Sasori said three hours I assigned each of them to find a shelter, wood for a fire, and water. I, myself and the girl would go scout the area. The others soon left and it was only me and the girl. We started off and not far from our current position and found a river that flowed south to a mountain range. I decided that we'd walk along the river until we hit the barrier, which shouldn't be far from where we are. After about an hour of walking, it was drizzling a bit harder but not that much. Feeling a little dehydrated, I stopped to drink from the river. I sat on a rock and close my eyes for a bit. My sharingans were being overworked. It was probably best for me to deactivate them. Opening my now relaxed eyes, I saw the girl sitting on the river bank with her legs pulled up to her chest. The girl sighed and adjusted the ribbon that held on her mask.

The girl then turned to face me. She stared at my face and I became irritated. I was about to tell her to start when she cut me off. "You're Akatsuki, the organization of missing ninjas, ranked as top criminals in every village where each of you come from. Which village were you from? I can see the edge of your headband, but I can't see the engraving with all the strips of cloth covering your face from your hat. Can you take your hat off and tell me your name? I, at least deserve to see the face of the person that will kill me." Oh, so she has heard of the Akatsuki and how bold of her to ask me my name. I sighed, she's truly interesting, so bold.

"No" I said simply. She frowned, getting up, she walked over to me, and once again looked at me intently. ." She nodded and sat back down silently. Does this irritating girl really want to die that badly?

"Do you know Itachi Uchiha?" She said suddenly. I immediately tensed at the sound of my name. I looked at her. Why would she be asking about me?

"Yes, I do. Why do you ask?"

"It's a long story. Let's just say the reason I wasn't scared when I saw you was because I hold a grudge against your organization. There's no point in being afraid."

"And your grudge has something to do with Itachi?" I started to go through my mind trying to remember. Takara. Takara Nakamura. I don't remember her. I've never met a Takara. Who is this girl? "Tell me what he did?"

"He killed his family and left."

"You are not of the Uchiha clan. Why would it concern you?" I asked growing more curious. Who is she?

"Let's just say he did many things. But most of all, he broke a very dear friend's heart. Her name is-"

"Akira Yamamoto" I said in shock, cutting off the girl. This is Akira's friend? My heart clenched at the sound of her name. It's been eight years since I had last heard that name. It brought back too many memories, emotion, and too many unspoken words.

The girl looked at me clearly in surprise. "You know her?" Quickly realizing what I said, I had to come up with a reply.

"No, Itachi has just mentioned her a few times." The girl nodded.

"Well, if you see him, tell him she hates him now, but she still wished she could've said goodbye." My throat tightened. She hated me now. Me, who loved her so much. But I don't blame her. I left her that night, eight years ago, without truly saying goodbye.

"Remove your mask. Let me see your face." I said. Part of me didn't trust this girl, but the other part knew there was a chance that she might be telling the truth.

"I don't know. Remove your hat and I'll remove my mask." The girl said but before she could remove her mask, the sky darkened and the rain started pouring. I sighed, we have to get back to the shelter now. "I guess we have to get back now." The girl got up and started back. I slowly stood up and followed her. Something seems different about her. When we first found her, she was bold and defiant, but now she seemed more obedient, as if she doesn't mind being a captive. We walked in silence with only the sound of rain thundering down. As we walked, there was only one person on my mind, Akira


End file.
